Legacy Revealed
by Kamil the Awesome
Summary: A young man's life changes of the truth of his family's past comes back to haunt him... Modern Hyrule
1. Legacy Revealed

A/N: this idea sorta popped into my head recently and has been bouncing around. Now I'm finally getting around to writing it, so enjoy.

Legacy Revealed

Family tales say that the first-born son of the first-born son is always named Link. Upon his 12th birthday, he is given a green tunic, the garb of the Hero of Time. At this point, the Triforce of Courage is then passed down and he is given the burden of protecting all those who are close to him. To wait the day when the piece inside awakens due to the return of either the evil it sealed away, or of the one who had locked it to the line of the hero. Or to pass the burden down to the next son.

Somewhere in history someone who didn't believe in the tales broke this chain, and now they're myth, just a silly tale that the women keep. Or at least, they were to me before today.

**10 hours before. **

"Travis you lazy ass!" screamed his older sister. "Get down stairs now before Jake decides to make me cook him breakfast!"

His eyes flickered open, scanning his room. Spotting a clock, he quickly read it before jumping out of bed. It was his first day at East Central High in Kakariko, and his mom and step-dad, Jake, didn't want him to make a bad impression. As far as he was concerned, being late usually created a better impression on students. The teachers didn't matter.

Slowly drawing himself out from under the warm covers, Travis stood up and meandered over to the low quality dresser in the room. "Dumb sister," he mumbled, pulling out some clean clothes. The bathroom was at the far end of the hallway and he didn't feel like wrapping the towel around him like some lower class frat boy. Opening up the door, a cold piece of bacon landed right at his feet.

"Why thanks for the breakfast, sis! I love it when you give me cold food. It's the best!" he shouted out, trying to hold back as much sarcasm as possible. Last time he had used sarcasm; it hadn't turned out terribly well for him. _But this time will be different_, he swore to himself. He smirked to himself as he continued to the bathroom as the sounds of feet stomping echoed up, and started to close in on him. Increasing his pace, Travis soon reached the bathroom, and threw open the door. Sighing in relief at discovering nobody was inside; he shut the door behind himself.

Placing the clean clothes right above the medication cabinet and out of sight, Travis quickly stripped and slipped into the shower, initiating the flow of water. Struggling through the first minute of cold water, it soon turns warm. Time slowed down in the shower, but eventually it had to end. Stepping out, Travis took a look at himself in the mirror. He was mostly average; his build and height helped him fit in. His gray eyes and gritty blonde hair stood out some in crowds, but his ears were the worst. Instead of rounding over like everyone in his family, his for some reason were pointed.

Drying off with one of the towels, fetching his clothes, and putting them on took only a couple of minutes. Taking a deep breath in, he opened up the door.

"We need to speak Travis." Standing there was Jake. He had once been a champion weight lifter, but an incident a number of years back forced him to retire.

"About what?"

"Don't play me for a fool, kid," Jake began. "I know what sort of games you like to play on your sister and I'm trying to put a stop to it."

Travis didn't buy it. "You sure about that? She still does what she's always has done…ever since dad died." The last part came out quietly.

Sighing, his step-dad backed off. "I still forget that he died six years ago." Rubbing his hand threw Travis' hair, he continued. "You should get going soon. Hopefully something edible is downstairs waiting for you." As he slipped past, Jake finished what he was saying. "And don't try and fit in quickly. Being different will get you friends fast at East Central, according to some…contacts."

The teen kept heading down the stairs, grabbing a breakfast sandwich and his pre-packed backpack before pushing through the door. In the driveway in front of the small house was an unremarkable sedan. Rebecca was sitting on the hood, staring at him.

"You're going to be late, Travis. Mom and Jake aren't going to like that at all." She slid off of the hood and opened up the driver door. Travis followed suit with the passenger door.

"Personally, I think it's actually better for me to be late. Sure that won't impress the teachers at all, but maybe that'll endear me onto some girls." His sister started to laugh as the car backed out onto the road. She didn't speak until the car was moving forward.

"Like that'll work. From what I've heard, being normal is encouraged at East Central. So maybe you'll have a chance…but Jake and I are betting on whether or not you get the crap kicked out of you at school."

"And who's on my side?" Travis asked, worried.

"Nobody," she answered, smiling. He groaned while leaning back. Travis was convinced that his family was out to get him. And soon so would everyone else.

* * *

><p>"…And try not to piss any kids off that are larger than you, unless you've seen how they fight," Rebecca continued. Travis was waiting for her to finish talking, since they were almost to his new school. <em>New prison is more like it<em>, he told himself as what she had been saying sunk in. "And lastly, find somewhere where you fit in. That will give you the best chance of not being sent to the hospital."

"Is that it, sis?" She pulled right up to the front of the school. Some of the stranglers stared at the car for a moment before looking away.

"Of course Travis. If the school was further away, some of that would've actually been bullshit." He just nodded as he opened the door and stepped out. "Good luck," she called out from behind. Travis just tried to hold back a laugh as he pulled open the doors. Once inside, he turned to the right and entered the office.

"What do you need, young man?" the closest lady asked.

"I'm new here and…" he was cut off.

"So you're Travis Collins," she murmured. "Well, welcome to East Central High School. I'll have your schedule out soon." She turned back to the computer and started typing. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the raised park of he desk. "Don't do that," she said, not looking up. He stood back up, and turned around when the door opened up.

In came one of the teachers and a student. First thing he noticed was the main color she was wearing: black. "What are you looking at, elf?" Travis had slowly gotten used to people hating him for not being human, yet at times how people act still surprised him.

"Why don't you tell me, cutter?" All sound in the office faded away.

"Cutter? You really gonna go there?" She pulled her arm away from the teacher that had brought her in.

Looking up, Travis pretended to think. "I think I already did." His gaze fell to her. "You did call me an elf. I don't like it when humans use that word." She just began to laugh.

"Maybe you're somewhat right in calling me a 'cutter'. You obviously don't know enough about this school, or you would've done the same as me." She leaned forward and showed him the top of one of her ears.

"You mutilated yourself," he mumbled, both shocked and surprised by the truth. She just nodded before turning back to the teacher.

"I think I've had a change of heart Mrs. Stevenson. I'm ready to go back to class and apologize." She just smiled before opening up the door. The girl turned back to Travis. "Maybe I'll see you later. Just avoid the kid who calls himself Ganon. He'll wipe the floor with you before you could get 20 feet away." As they left, he turned back to the lady he was talking with earlier.

"So…can I get my schedule now?" She just pointed to a piece of paper near his left arm. Picking it up, he quickly scanned it before groaning. "Was that my first teacher?"

"Yes it was, Mr. Collins. We usually don't let kids run in the halls, but I guess you're a different case." He continued to stand there. "Go boy! Scram!" she shouted. Travis turned around and pulled open the door. Looking around, he soon spotted Mrs. Stevenson and the girl turning around one of the corners.

Running after them, he yelled out "wait!" To his surprise, they turned around. By the time he reached them, he was panting and the teacher was scowling down at him. "I'm…in…your…class," he got out in between breaths.

"Follow me then." He just nodded at what the teacher said. The girl smirked at him.

_Gods, now what did I get into?_

* * *

><p>Mrs. Stevenson had him wait out the door until she signaled for him. Listening in, he observed the class. "Today we have a new student who comes from Lon Lon." The class started to mumble to themselves, wondering about the new student. Lon Lon had become the second biggest city in Hyrule, just behind Castletown and in front of Kakariko. "Please welcome Travis Collins." Taking in one deep breath, he walked in, not knowing what to expect.<p>

One of the girls up front spoke up. "I thought that all of the Hylians had died."

"So had my parents before I was born," he said, looking at her. "Apparently long ago my entire family was Hylian, but that trait had supposedly died out."

Another kid started laughing. "What my aunt told me is that two are born every generation; one male, one female. The government usually tries to keep them separate, but they've lost the position of the female, so that may all go to hell. Why, I don't know."

Annoyed by her class, Mrs. Stevenson spoke up. "That's enough on this topic for now. If you wish to continue, you can do so during lunch. Until then, Travis can sit back there next Dalze." He walked to the back, just to find out that Dalze was his 'friend' from the office. Sitting down, he started to think about what one of the others had said about his 'kind'.

_If the government is trying to keep us separate, then they've just failed_.

* * *

><p>Two classes later, lunch finally rolled around. Travis was able to find the cafeteria by following everyone else. Once there, he began to ignore the racial slurs as he got food, or at least whatever passed for food at this place. Searching the room, he eventually spotted Dalze and some of the others from Mrs. Stevenson's class. He walked over, avoiding some of the kids that looked unfriendly.<p>

"Could I sit with you guys?" he asked upon arrival. They all looked up at him before giving a unanimous "yes". Travis sat down between two of the kids that he didn't remember their names, but he remembered their faces.

"So Travis, what do you think so far of this rotting dump?" Anton asked, picking at some of the food on his tray. He had been the one who had mentioned the knowledge his aunt had told him. He was the second friend Travis had made that day.

"It's alright. That group over there," he said while pointing out a rowdier bunch who were all making suggestive hand gestures, "scares me some. It's mostly that really tall guy in their group."

"The one who's skin is darker than night?" another, Bella, asked. Travis just nodded.

"Oh…him," Dalze commented. "Yeah, that's Andrew, but his group calls him "Ganon". I'm sure that there's something off with him. Mental issues of some sort, or whatever." She ended in mid-statement, but nobody spoke up about it.

"So how are we going to smuggle Travis out of this place?" Dimitri asked. Everyone looked to him, confused. "Well, it's not like we can just let him walk out. He'll get jumped, since not all of Ganon's group is there at the table anymore." They all then smiled.

"Well, since you've noticed the problem, you're on point. That also means if they decide that they want to break both school rules and their own, they'll go after you first." One of the people Travis couldn't remember said. She turned to him. "The name's Marin, if you're wondering." He just nodded.

"So, are we leaving now? I only have half days here, since I head out to the university for the afternoon." They all glared at him out of both disgust and jealousy.

"Then lets get going then, since our Hylian here has places to go…and lectures to sleep through," Anton said, stepping up from the table. The rest of the group followed suit. Dimitri moved to the front of the pack while Anton slipped to the back. Travis found himself in the middle, which was somewhat reassuring.

"Stop there," came a large voice from Ganon's table. A dark skinned kid stood up and walked over to the front of the pack. "Leave the elf with us and we won't have to beat you all for betraying your own kind."

Dalze started to laugh. "You aren't even human, Ganon. Or should I say Andrew, the Prince of the Gerudo." Bella started to laugh, amused by her friend's antics in the face of promised violence.

"At least being Gerudo is better than Hylian; my kind isn't dying out." His gaze ended on Travis. It was filled with malice and for once in his life, he was truly afraid.

"What do you have against Hylians, Andrew?" Everyone watching the events unfolding gasped; many of them had heard before Ganon's conspirator beliefs surrounding the Hylian race.

"It's the fact that your kind has ruined every other one within this kingdom and now that you're about to fade away, somehow you always return? Not even the species driven to extinction by your kind ever had this sort of luck."

"That's nice, Ganon. Now if you can excuse me, I have places to go." Travis then pushed through everyone and left the cafeteria. He didn't even look back.

* * *

><p>It hurt Travis a little to have to lie to his new friends; he didn't actually go to the university. His sister was still there in her classes, so he ended up having to walk home. After some detours within the main downtown area, he was finally on his way home when he was dragged into a dark alley.<p>

"You feel lucky, boy? It's not everyday that the Hyrulian Sons come across one of the last Hylians ever. We were responsible, so many decades back, for their extinction. And now we shall finish the job." His sight began to return from the change in light and was starting to scan the faces of his captors. Each one of them represented different sentient species: a human, a Goron, a Kokori-Korok mix, a Zora, a Shekiah, and a Gerudo. Luckily, there were no fairies, as they could do very little in a place such as this.

Travis began to scratch the back of his left hand. It had become itchy ever since the encounter with Ganon back at the school, but it was getting worse.

"Whatcha doin' there? Trying to use some of ya magic to save ya self?" the Goron asked.

"It's been itching, so I'm itching it, genius." Sarcasm wasn't going to get him out of this alive. The human drew a knife out, checking the sharpness of the edge. The itching got worse.

He neared, bringing the knife closer to his body. Right as it touched his skin, the hand went numb. The itching left, and in its place a feeling of nothingness came. The Shekiah stopped the human.

"There's something happening inside of him, and let me tell you this: it is not of this realm." The human looked confused.

"What the hell does that mean, Katsu?" he just shrugged. Rolling his eyes, the human returned to what he was doing with the knife. As it pierced his skin, pain flared through his body just as a bright light flashed out from where he was. The knife retreated from his body, and Travis's attackers backed away.

"Who are you?" they all shouted. The pain stopped as suddenly as it had arrived, and Travis noticed that his left hand was different; on the back were the markings of the Triforce of Courage. The Hyrulian Sons all drew weapons, and he realized he was in major trouble. Remembering the book his mother showed him when he was a kid, the Blade of Evil's Bane came to mind. Visualizing it for a while, extra weight came to his left hand.

Following the stares of surprise from his captors, Travis found the Master Sword in his hands. The knowledge of numerous heroes before him flooded his mind. Techniques, basic and difficult, all came to him. All of them except for the human faded into the shadows.

"So you're the new hero, huh?" The man licked his knife. "Well, I think it's time to end your legend." Charging, the knife moved behind the man. Instinct taking over, Travis began by cutting the man's hand off, sending it and the knife into the shadows in which the human's friends disappeared into. Instincts pulling him further into the fight, he delivered two slashes to the chest, forming an "x" over his heart.

Spinning, Travis screamed out as he drove the sword into the meeting point of the slashes. The dying man's eyes expanded; surprised that he had just been killed. The body slid off of the sword, dead before hitting the ground. Staring down, he spat onto the corpse.

"Hey you!" The shout from outside of the alley brought Travis back to the present. A police officer was running in, reaching for his gun. "Drop the sword son and surrender yourself. I don't want to have to shoot you." The cop stopped and drew his pistol, aiming it at the kid with the sword.

"And why would I surrender to you?" he asked. _If I'm this hero, then I think it'd be best to take the name of the hero; the identity of the heroes of past_, Travis thought. _I am now Link, the Hero of Man_.

"Because you know it's the right thing to do. What is your name, son?"

"I am Link, the Hero of Man." With that, he dove to the side. The alley echoed out the retort of the cop firing his gun. Instead of hitting the intended target, he put a hole into the brick wall behind the hero. The officer hurried deeper in, his gun at the ready. Turning the corner, he discovered something surprising to him.

The Hero was gone.

A/N: so I have either two options: this goes unnoticed and remains a one shot, or some people show interest and it gets multiple chapters. The names for the school friends come from characters within the Zelda universe that may not be as well known. Dalze is obviously a very important character. Otherwise, that's about it for me.

Go watch Dollhouse on Netflix. It's worth it.


	2. Becoming a Hero

A/N: thank you to Gabrielus Prime for your interest in this story. For that, I shall continue…for now.

Chapter 2

Becoming a Hero

Link woke up, the light tickling feeling of soft grass caressing his face. Remembering what had happened before his sudden disappearance, his body shot up. Glancing around, he discovered that there wasn't a single soul for miles. Wherever he was, at least he was safe from the Hyrulian Sons. By now they had discovered that he had killed one of their members. Now he was thankful he barely knew anyone at East Central, since repercussions could get nasty.

Thinking about the other members, he tried to think about a strategy for dealing with them. If he could take them out, then maybe someone within the government would end the horrid treatment he received. And maybe then Dalze would finally be proud of her heritage. His first goal, however, was to figure out how he was going to survive as a fugitive. 17 years of life had taught him how to live as a member of an almost extinct race that older people hated more than life itself.

Finally standing up, he tested out his legs. _No immediate damage_, he told himself. The fight that had led to his awakening had been short, yet still difficult. He barely understood what he had done, and in retrospect, he knew that the instincts of past Heroes had been the only thing that had kept him alive there. The Master Sword was gone, but he could bring it back the same way it had come to him.

Memories flooded back and Link finally remembered where he was: Hyrule Field, just outside of Lon Lon. Wandering in the direction of the farming community, or the direction he was sure it was in, he soon came across others: Gerudo, going off of the skin color. He fell onto his stomach, trying to avoid making lots of noise. Thankful he had worn a neutral color top, he crawled in their direction. The only pro to being Hylian was the improved hearing.

"You sure that he came all the way out here? I didn't think that the Hero could do something like transportation so early on." Link stiffened, recognizing the voice. That fool Andrew, or Ganon, from school was out here with his father.

"I told you that Kotake and Koume confirmed that he escaped out to here after slaying Davis. The police officer who had witnessed the murder told me that the boy claims to be the 'Hero of Man'." The boy laughed at what his father, the Gerudo member of the Hyrulian Sons from what the Hero figured, said. The Triforce pulsated within his body. Watching them, Link noticed that Andrew looked down at his left hand.

"He's near, father. My Triforce is resonating with his." Panic came over Link; he hadn't thought they would have a way to find him. The energy of his Triforce sweeping over, a bow appeared in his hands. Three arrows were lying on the ground next to him. Nocking one onto the string, magic flooded through his body and into the tip of the arrow. Angry about being hunted like an animal, the tip burst into flames, and he lined the arrow up with the elder Gerudo.

The arrow soared through the air and hit the target right in the chest. He hadn't tried to dodge it, not thinking that the boy would hit him. The flames swirled around him, consuming flesh. The Hero grabbed the second arrow and nocked it too. The same fiery anger came to him, yet Andrew just laughed. Thinking back to the stories he heard when he was still Travis, Link realized he didn't need fire. Light would burn 'Ganon' better. Ice built over the fire before exploding away, revealing the pure light that could pierce the defenses of any evil. The other person stepped back, shocked by for a reason unknown to the Hero; yet he didn't care. Aiming it at Ganon, Link watched as his newfound enemy fled, uncharacteristically scared of the power of the arrow and the magic it emanated.

Maybe that was a new trait of the evil: fear of that which can destroy it.

Link approached the jeep they had driven in. Checking the interior, he discovered that they had a gun inside. Grabbing it and pulling it out of the jeep, it turned out to be a tattered G36 equipped with a standard box magazine. Looking down at the ground, he noticed that the older Gerudo was now just a pile of ashes. Mixing some of the ash with one of the containers of water inside of the vehicle, the Hero wrote 'I have a gun now' onto the windshield; he'd be safer on foot. Before leaving, he packed up a bag with three backup magazines along with some water and the military rations they had.

Throwing the pack onto his back and letting the rifle hang from his right shoulder, the Hero began walking. Continuing on past where he had woken up, Link headed not for civilization and Lon Lon, his old home and the place where he was Travis, but instead for the last remnant of the old ways out here; the Great Fairy of Wisdom's Fountain.

* * *

><p>It was nearing dusk when Dalze finally got back home. Her encounter with Travis that day had been not only a shock, but an eye opener: that someone could live life, even with all of the hate that Hylians faced, and not give up was surprising. Her parents had always tried to get her to be proud of whom she was, but fear drove her away from that. Forcing him from her mind, she opened up the door to the small house her family lived in.<p>

"I'm home!" she called out, dropping her backpack onto the ground. Turning the corner, she stopped. Standing there were her parents, the terror in their eyes passing away when they spotted her. Dalze's mother moved forward swiftly, grabbing her daughter and holding her tightly.

"We were afraid you had met that dangerous Hylian boy who's been on the news. Apparently he killed someone." She pushed herself away from her mom, and looked to her dad.

"What do you mean he's dangerous?" The panic that had just disappeared returned in full force.

"Just watch this news report," her father told her. Turning on the TV, he accessed a recording. A young human with brown hair popped up.

"I'm here in Downtown Kakariko where today a ghastly murder happened. According to the police, the only Hylian male of this generation was seen in the alley behind me, killing a man with a mysterious sword. The man was later identified as Davis Andrews, a member of the Hyrulian Sons, which was responsible for accelerating the decline of the Hylian race." She paused for a moment before continuing on.

"The young man identified himself as 'Link, the Hero of Man', yet the government have assured us that his real name is Travis Collins and is a troubled youth, having gone to thirteen schools throughout his life, with the most recent being East Central High here in Kakariko. If anyone has any information on where he may be, you are asked to call the main Homeland Security office at 1-800-322-6773. Back to you, Johanna." The clip stopped, and Dalze looked at her parents.

"We guess that you've met him, since you've always been curious about strangers. What do you think about him now." She shrugged her shoulders. A glare from her mother caused her to moan in anger.

"He seemed like a nice guy. Sure, our first encounter wasn't the best, but he isn't like

Andrew. And from what you've told me, the Hyrulian Sons are more like terrorists than being protectors of Hyrule's growing races. If I remember correctly, you've always have said that they're racist towards…my kind."

"What are you trying to say, then?"

Rolling her eyes, she answered the question. "I'm trying to say that Travis was just protecting himself. That, and I think he may be the reincarnation of the Hero of Time, judging by what he told the cops." Standing up, she walked out of the living room and turned to head up the stairs. "I ate dinner over at Marin's house, if you're wondering. Good night." With that she stormed up the stairs and disappeared into her room.

"She just needs some help," her father said quietly to his wife.

"And where can we get that from, Jeff?" she snapped back. "Any place that will take her in will turn her over to the government for interrogation. When we discovered that she was Hylian, we swore to each other and the Rest that we'd protect her real species from everyone else."

"So you're saying that the hour that we've been waiting for is coming?" Jeff asked. She just nodded before a thought came to mind.

"She'll need him as much as he'll need her. That's how it has always worked. If our trick can work, then she may go to him."

* * *

><p>Having collapsed into the fountain, Link woke the next morning wet. He had been able to drop the gun and pack away from the water, but the rest of him was soaked straight through. Pushing himself up, he looked around the chamber. The room was covered in tiles on all sides. The tunnel leading in was mostly rock, yet changed into tiles as the fountain itself began.<p>

The room began to shake, and soon the Great Fairy that lived there woke, startling the Hero.

"All of you Heroes are the same; always so easy to scare just by jumping out of the water." Link glared back, not wishing to talk. "And you also don't talk."

"Uh…no. I can still talk." She glowered at him, not happy with his remark.

"Do you want me to help?" He just nodded. "Good then. First off, don't insult a fairy willing to help. Not smart. Secondly, and last too, I'll give you a gift, but you first must clear a trial set for you by the Goddesses to prove your worth. The first time you got the Master Sword was just luck; in reality, it slumbers here." She looked around before spotting the gun. "I'll let you use the weapon, but you'll only have nineteen bullets." The floor beneath Link began to lower.

"Good luck, Hero. And there's twenty enemies down there you must deal with, so you'll need any luck you can get." Gritting his teeth, Link slid the rifle into his arms, his grip already weakening from his slow drying hands. The feel of the plastic and steel was just a little reassuring. Looking at the left side of the assault rifle, he moved the dial so that it pointed at single shot instead of full auto. Right after that, the light from the fountain was blocked off, plunging the Hero into darkness. He continued to move downward at a snails pace for what seemed like forever before it suddenly stopped. The door before him dropped down and Link stepped forward.

The door slammed shut behind him, sealing itself with iron bars. Moving forward, he brought the gun up to firing level. Looking side to side, he continued to not see any monsters until he reached the midway point of the chamber. Around there, a humanoid figure lunged at him, saliva flowing down from its mouth at the same speed that the elevator had moved down. His muscles tensed up as it missed on its first lunge. It began to circle back around, staring him down from its sullen eye sockets. Lunging once more, Link fired a single shot right into its face, dropping it at his feet. It burnt itself in blue fire, no remains leaving itself at his feet.

Moaning started to echo through the chamber, causing the Hero to turn around. More of them emerged from the graves within the walls. Forming a swarm, they all made their way towards Link. He started to shoot, bringing one down with each bullet. As they fell, each corpse burned, disappearing. Only one more remained, and he pulled on the trigger. A soft, yet audible click came from the gun. Looking from the gun to the monster, the few teeth it had moved into a smile. Then it charged. The gun fell from his hands as he moved back towards the stash of knives and swords at the very end of the chamber. Just feet away from the pile of weapons, a hand grabbed his left foot, tripping him up. Crashing onto the dirt floor, he flipped over and looked at what had grabbed his foot.

Holding on was the monster, which let out an unearthly howl, freezing Link. It then proceeded to slowly crawl over him, moving up so that it could straddle his body. The effects of the scream started to fade, and the Hero patiently reached out for a knife, soon finding one close enough to grab. The drool splattered onto his half-dried shirt, causing it to stick to his body.

Moving faster than he had ever needed to, Link delivered the knife to the monster's face. It roared out in pain as it moved off of his body. The Hero moved away, grabbing a sword and bringing it up. The creature pulled the knife out and tossed it to the ground, angry. It charged him, claws stretched out to grab him. Swinging the sword, he watched as the upper torso was separated from its legs. The body hit the ground, and then Link delivered the final strike, stabbing it straight through. It burned away around the sword, leaving him alone in the chamber. The door at the far side opened back up, inviting him to return to the surface.

The elevator trip back to the fountain was faster than the one descending down into the Hole. Link had retrieved his gun and had cleaned off the knife; both were strapped onto his body: the gun on his back and the knife was there at his left side. He reemerged from the proving grounds, and the Great Fairy floated in his direction.

"It's nice to see you return, Travis. Or shall I now call you Link, since you have finally earned the name that has belonged to each Hero of Hyrule. And if you're going to be this Hero, maybe it would be best if you are dressed in the garb of your ancestors." A whirlwind of magic encompassed his entire self, lifting him from the ground. It soon set him back down, and he looked at his reflection in the pool before him.

The green tunic was tight fitting and ended just above mid-thigh. The light beige pants rested just above his legs, defining it yet hiding it. A rugged undershirt connected the tunic to the gauntlets, covered with armored plates. Feeling the tunic, he quickly realized that it was Kevlar. A number of pouches were strapped on, along with the gun he had taken from the jeep. It had its own sheath, right next to a full quiver and the Master Sword. On one of the leather boots was the knife from below.

The last thing he saw was the baggy green hat. It was long enough that it reached upper mid-back. Looking back at the Great Fairy, some questions started coming to mind. The most important one came out first.

"What is my quest for, and who am I saving?" She giggled at him.

"I do not know what you shall be required to get, but I know that you are going to be saving all of Hyrule. I can tell you that the Grand Kaepora Gaebora knows who may be involved. He commonly visits Lake Hylia at night and usually is only seen close to land on the third smallest island."

The Hero just nodded, not sure which island she was speaking off, but he could easily find out. He thanked her for her help before heading out. Just as he started to leave, she called out to him once more.

"Avoid Highway 13. The enemy, whoever it is, uses it." She didn't know if he heard her, though.

* * *

><p>Dalze was wandering the halls in between classes when Andrew came up to her, both angry and confused. He pushed her up against a locker. "Who is he?" It was both question and demand.<p>

"Who is who?" she asked, watching one of the smaller veins on his face start to pop out.

"You know whom I speak of. He said that his name is Travis, yet he is really someone else." Glaring back at Ganon, her mind started to work through what he could know.

"And you're asking me why?" There was something not adding up, and she wanted to know what was that final piece.

His voice dropped and he pulled her closer. "Not only can he transport, but he's had access to both the Master Sword and the Light Arrows." _What fairy tales had his father gotten him to believe now?_ As the thought faded away in her mind, Ganon growled at her.

Faster than she could blink, Andrew tossed Dalze down the hallway, watching her slide a few feet. "I name you for who you are, Hylian!" he roared out. She started to laugh.

"You are the descendant of the Royal Family of Hyrule, and possessor of the Triforce of Wisdom." Her left hand began to burn like something fierce. "I name you Princess Zelda!" A blinding flash of light exploded throughout the corridor, coming from Dalze's body. Standing up, she looked down. Her clothes hadn't changed, yet everyone was now talking about how she looked different.

Ganon stood before her, giving her the vilest grin he could. "It's nice to see what your ears truly look like." He paused for a moment before continuing on. "The police are on their way to arrest you for assisting in the murder of Davis Andrews, a good friend of my late father." Feeling her ears, he discovered the truth to what he had done: the identity web over her had been destroyed and now she was revealed to be Hylian.

Standing up in fear, she turned away from him and began to run. By now she assumed that either her parents had already fled their home or that they had been taken into custody right before her awakening. As she continued to run, a faint whisper came to her ear.

_Just use Farore's Wind, Daughter of Wisdom_. Taking the advice of the unknown being, Dalze started to focus on a secluded island in Lake Hylia; the one that her parents had taken her to once before, just to meet the Rest. A flash of green light overcame her, and she then disappeared. In transit, she remembered one of the manuscripts she had found on spells.

_Farore's Wind is exploitable by any magic user, thus if being used to escape, it is best to seal the other end during transit. The only flaw is that this is only something a Triforce wielder can do._ Staring at her hand, Dalze came to the assumption that she could do it. Immersing herself into the conduit provided by the magic, she cut off the entry point she had used, and forced anyone else out into a random alley within Castletown.

The spell soon finished, and she woke to find herself on the beach of the Rest island. Two men came running down, assault rifles at the ready. When they reached her, their eyes moved from her body to her ears. One of them spoke quickly into his COM link before instructing the other to grab her feet. The man then grabbed her hands and they picked her up.

"My name is Colin and welcome to the Rest, Princess. We've been expecting you."

A/N: well, another chapter done. This story is starting to shape out nicely and I have big hopes for it…if it can get attention from others. If I can get a review, consider me pleased.


	3. Crossing Paths

A/N: thank you to airbender552 for the story alert. I'm bummed that I haven't received a single review yet, but at least Skyward Sword will be out in 9 days. That and I've watched Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog this week. Twice.

Chapter 3

Crossing Paths

Link smiled to himself; he had just reached the outskirts of Hylia, the residential community around the lake with the same name. He continued through the tall grass of the field, pushing it away with his hands. The hero soon reached a gravel service road. He looked both directions, checking for vehicles. Positive the coast was clear, he jogged across the road and into the tall grass on the other side. As he neared the main section of Hylia, he crouched down. Inspecting his weapons, Link reloaded the assault rifle he had before sliding it into its holster on his back.

Once the blades were moving smoothly in their carriers, the hero exited the grass. He stepped into an alley between the fences of two magnificent mansions. He kept moving while he took in the buildings. Having lived in poorer neighborhoods his entire life, Link found the scale of the architecture to be mind-boggling. He soon reached the end of the alley and found himself on a normal street. There were lamps spaced out evenly and one of them went out as he viewed the area before him.

He stepped out into the street when a loud voice cried out from behind. "Who are you, boy?" Link spun around.

On the porch of a house was a Zora man. He stepped down from the porch and walked out to the hero. He stopped in front of him and stared down, pondering all of the different things he could do.

"Are you that kid from the news? The one who killed that man up in Kakariko?" He just nodded. The man's mouth scrunched up. "So here's the thing kid; I have two options. First off, I could call the authorities and have you arrested…or you could come with me to the Rest." Link stared back, confused.

"What is 'the Rest'?" he asked. The man laughed as he started to walk back to his house. He pulled out a small piece of plastic and squeezed it. The garage door to his house opened up. He turned back to the hero, who hadn't moved. "Come along, I'll show you." He wasn't sure if he could trust him, but Link was going to take this risk, just this one time.

He walked up to the car and got into the passenger seat. His back didn't touch the seat with the weapons on his back. The car pulled away and drove off. The road curved towards the lake, causing his racing heart to slow down. Just as he thought they were out of the woods, they spotted a checkpoint manned by soldiers. He turned around real quick and pulled out a scale-covered garment. Placing it in my lap, he spoke to me.

"I need to you trust me on this. I won't make it to the Rest, so I'm telling you where it is. Swim to the third island from the shore and look to the east. You'll spot a hazy region on the horizon. Go there; friends shall help you." Link just nodded, staring at the soldiers they were approaching. The Zora began to speak in his language and a curious turquoise light filled the compartment. Once it faded, the hero looked down; the clothes were no longer in his lap, but instead on his person.

The man looked over at Link, his eyes beginning to water. "It was a pleasure knowing you Link, Hero of Man." The car swerved over towards Lake Hylia. The Zora drew a knife and cut the hero's seatbelt. He then opened the door and pushed the passenger out. He called out as machine gun fire filled the air. "Tell them Ralis sent you."

Link yelled as the car exploded. He hit the water hard. As he sunk down a couple of feet, the hero realized he wasn't drowning. He thanked Ralis mentally before swimming deeper into the lake. Once he was sure he had gone a kilometer or two away from shore, he surfaced. Scanning the horizon, he spotted two islands in the direction he had come from while there was one in front of him. Far off by the other islands was a helicopter, surely searching for him.

The hero began to swim to the third island, remaining on the surface. He had little to fear from that helicopter he had seen. It had been nearing the twilight hours of the day when he had reached Hylia; now the sun was gone. Link sat down on the shoreline, staring up at the moon. As he stared up at it, the silhouette of an owl passed over. He shot up from where he had been sitting. The owl neared the island, and he assumed that the owl was the Grand Kaepora Gaebora that the Great Fairy had spoken of.

The owl circled around the island thrice before descending. He landed on a branch ten feet away from Link. "Hero of Man, hoot hoot. Listen to what I have to say, hoot hoot," Kaepora said.

The hero stood up and walked over to the giant owl. "Will you guide me towards my goals on this quest?"

"I will, hoot hoot," the owl answered. "You've already met the person you're supposed to save and the one you're supposed to fight, hoot hoot." The hero glared at him, confused. The owl continued. "You must save the other of your species, but that part of your question hasn't begun yet, hoot hoot. You will fight Ganondorf, the Prince of Thieves, the King of Evil, some day, hoot hoot. But that day won't come for a while, hoot hoot."

Link was annoyed. He had learned very little and the hoots were getting on his nerves. "I just need to know where do I go next?"

The owl laughed. "Ralis already told you, hoot hoot." Kaepora Gaebora took off, spreading his wings wide before sailing off towards the west. Link watched, breathing out hard as the owl left his sight. The hero walked deeper into the small forest on the island. Once he found a place where he couldn't see the moon, he collapsed to the ground, sapped of energy. He soon found sleep.

* * *

><p>Dalze, now Zelda, looked out over Lake Hylia from the Rest, an unmapped island near the uninhabited southern section of the lake. Many of the others were getting inpatient; Ralis, the mole inside of the Hyrulian Sons, was supposed to visit tonight with information about their numbers and what they knew about Link. She still thought of him as Travis, but many said that would fade away soon enough.<p>

One of the group's leaders, Shiek, was watching her. He had a mysterious past; he had been a half-hearted member of the Sons for years before they decided to force him to take sides. He had escaped Shiekah's Grove just alive and made his way across the Field before supposedly drowning in Lake Hylia. A day after his disappearance, he washed up on the shores of the Rest. Since then he's been a major contributor.

"The Council has decided to move you to the Chamber of Sages. There you'll be safe from the reach of the Hyrulian Sons and from this 'Ganon' fiend who attacked you," he said. She continued to look out at the lake, glimpsing the great owl Kaepora Gaebora circle one of the islands three times before landing. She already understood why they were hiding her; being the Bearer of Wisdom without any personal defense, she was at risk. Zelda didn't understand why the magic she did have wasn't enough for them.

"I shall go then, Shiek," she said, turning to face him. His scarlet eyes stared out from beneath the white veil he always wore. She had found it enticing and added to the mystery of the shiekah.

He continued to stare at her, not revealing emotions. "Follow me then. We leave for Castletown in five minutes." He turned away and walked through the doorway leading from the balcony. Zelda turned back around, and watched the owl leave the island. She was curious about who Kaepora was visiting, but she assumed that the Rest could send word once daylight broke.

She followed the shiekah through the fortress until they reached the roof. A nondescript helicopter was there, starting to power up. Shiek opened up a door and she got in. Once settled in her seat, he closed the door and tapped the helicopter six times, twice in three different locations. It lifted off from the helipad, and Zelda began to pound on the windows. She was so certain he would be coming along that this action worried her. The helicopter pulled away from the Rest. The island started to shrink in size until the magic fog that hid it made it disappear from sight.

She stared down at the clear water of Lake Hylia, just invisible due to lack of light. The moon was out, but it wasn't as bright as it usually was.

Zelda prayed to the goddesses, hoping that it wasn't a sign of bad things to come.

* * *

><p>The few beams of sunlight that pierced the canopy's veil woke Link. He sat up and inspected his equipment. First thing he noticed was that the armor the zora had gaze him was gone; instead replaced by the green tunic the Great Fairy had given him. Once his weapons were ready, the hero departed his forest sanctuary. Reaching the beach, he noticed that the helicopters were closer to the island than they were over night.<p>

He forced fears about discovery away from his mind. Looking to the east, he spotted a hazy area on the horizon. Remembering the instructions from Ralis, he stepped into the water. A smile came to Link's face when he saw the armor return as he entered the water. Ducking into the water, his entire body was encompassed with the armor. The hero began to swim away from the island, making sure to remain beneath the waves.

It was about midday when he surfaced again. The hazy spot on the horizon had disappeared; instead it was a heavily fortified island. There was a single, massive building at what appeared to be the center and was surrounded by a number of watchtowers. Link stared at it for a while, thinking about how he could get on the island without being spotted. However, his biggest concern was hunger; he hadn't eaten anything since he had fled Kakariko. His hunger had been squashed during his time in the fairy spring, but it had returned.

The hero continued to swim towards the island, moving slower and on the surface. It was around 30 meters from shore when he spotted a couple of men on the beach, staring out at him. Link was somewhat hesitant about continuing to shore, but they could send boats to get him if he turned back or drowned. It took him awhile with his strength starting to fade. Hitting the sandbank, two of the men on the shore ran out and dragged him to dry land.

He was wearing a tight, indigo body suit. Red eyes peered out from beneath white face coverings. Then he spoke. "My name is Shiek, and welcome to the Rest, Hero of Man." He extended a hand, which Link grabbed. The man pulled him up to his feet and handed a jar with red liquid in it. "Drink, Hero. You shall need your strength soon, for we're having sword training soon." The group of people began to walk up towards the main facility. "Even with modern weaponry, we believe it is important to continue this tradition."

Link looked at him as if he should laugh in his face. "And why would that be, Shiek? And what species are you?" The gate opened up for them, men staring down from the watchtowers. The hero's zora armor had faded back to the green tunic.

"We continue it because it's part of our culture," he replied. "And I'm a member of the Shiekah variety of the Hylian species. We forgot our past long ago." The hero decided to not press any further into that matter. "You missed her by mere hours, hero."

"Missed who?" he asked. Link had an idea of whom he was speaking off, but he wanted him to say whom.

"You know her better as Dalze, but her real name is Zelda." Shiek noticed Link's eyes brighten. "I guess you spoke with Kaepora Gaebora last night. I remember seeing him spend more time on that island than he usually does." They walked up the gravel path leading from the gate to the main facility. A number of young men were out on the surrounding lawns, practicing their swordsmanship.

Link suddenly remembered a minor thing he hadn't revealed to Shiek. "I was sent here by a zora man named Ralis and I fear he's dead." The other man stopped him. The other men all looked to Shiek, who moved his head towards the main building. They headed up to the facility.

"Did he tell you anything else to tell us?" he asked. Link scratched the back of his head, thinking about those events.

"Nothing else, Shiek." The man just nodded. He looked over at the men fighting with wood swords.

"I suggest you go over there and practice. Since the hopes of Hyrule are in your hands, I think it would be best if you continued to get better." Link just nodded before turning around and heading over. One of the instructors walked up to him, his hand extended out in front of him.

"Welcome to the Rest, hero," he said, smiling. "If you wish to test your swordsmanship skills, we have an intensive training…mode you can test." Link just nodded, assuming it was safe. The instructor led him through the pack of soldiers towards a raised wooden platform. The other man stopped at the base of the stairs, holding out his arm to invite the hero up to the top.

Link walked up the steps, surveying the platform as he crested the stairs. There were three men up there, all armed with various weapons. Garbed in armor, they all watched as the hero took center stage. The instructor came up on stairs from the other side.

"This is a test of not only your ability to fight against different types of weapons and enemies, but also to fight more than one at a time," the man said. He then nodded to the others. "Good luck, hero." The man stepped back from the arena as the three in there with Link moved forward. Right in front of him was a man armed with a sword and a shield who was wearing red; to his left was one with a club garbed in blue; the man to the hero's right was garbed in green and armed with a bow and arrow. Drawing the Master Sword and his knife, he felt ready to take them on.

The soldiers armed with melee weapons moved forward, their weapons drawn back. Link tossed his knife at the red soldier, but it just bounced off of his metal shield. The clink of the dagger falling from the shield to the ground marked the red soldier's charge. The hero held his ground, staring intensely at the charging man. He saw the blue one move in too; he kept his focus on the red one. Techniques of ancient heroes flooded his mind – he knew what to do. As the shield was forced towards his chest, he reached out with left hand and pulled the shield down.

Link swung the Master Sword towards the red-garbed enemy, forcing him to block with his sword. Upon contact, the hero pulled down on the shield, ripping it from the other man's grip. He slid it on as he brought his sword down the outside of that man's arm. He paused for a moment as he controlled the pain emanating from the arrow lodged into his back; he'd deal with him in just a couple of moments. The man once named Travis swung his head forward, incapacitating the man he was locked in battle with. Air behind his head moved; the blue man had swung his club at his head – or where his head had been.

The hero spun around in place, pushing away the man garbed in blue. The one in green was nocking another arrow, moving to his right so his comrade wasn't in firing range. Link stepped back a couple of steps. He heard bending metal beneath his feet; looking down, he spotted his knife. Slamming the Master Sword into the ground, Link picked up the knife and held the blade end. His shield up, he aimed and tossed the weapon at the archer. The man dodged the blade, but the string got cut. He threw his useless weapon to the side, drawing an arrow for each hand.

Link smiled, stepping forward. The other two men exchanged glances before charging. The man with the mace lifted his above his head, growling. He swung it going from lower left to upper right, forcing the hero to put his shield out in front of himself, leaving his left shoulder open. The green-garbed archer leapt above his open spot. The hero spun, sending arm with his sword around his back and up towards the incoming enemy. The man's eyes widened as the blade cut through his torso. He sighed in relief as he hit the ground without a scratch.

He was surprised that the blade didn't harm the man for just a moment; Link soon remembered the Master Sword was also known as the Blade of Evil's Bane, thus wouldn't hurt anyone who was considered a real friend by the blade's master, or wielder. The hero kicked him over to the side as the last enemy approached. He had witnessed the incident and all fear was gone. He charged in with his head down, the club wound back in his right hand.

The blue-garbed man released his control, sending the club screaming towards the hero's face. He raised his shield, blocking that attack. Link then swung the hilt of the Master Sword at the other man's head, knocking him out. The man in blue hit the arena floor like a sack of potatoes.

"That's good, hero," a familiar voice said. The hero spun around to see Shiek standing where he had last seen the instructor. "But you need to come with me. It's about time for you to continue on your quest…for it shall begin soon."

Link stared at him with suspicion about the last statement, but he complied. He stepped down from the platform and followed the shiekah through the facility up to the roof. The building's interior was unremarkable; just plain grey metal and white sheetrock. Once on the roof, they walked over to a shiny grey platform. The hero noted that at its center was a circular object that contained six ovular shapes. His gaze returned back to Shiek.

"There are two things I can do for you to aid you on your quest, Link," he started. "The first one of those is to give you this." He tossed a small blue object across the platform. The hero caught it and stared at it confused; it was an ocarina. "That is the legendary Ocarina of Time, once a heirloom of the Royal Family. It was given to us here at the Rest at the beginning of the Oppressed Species Restoration."

Link had heard lots about that time period in history classes; it was when all of the other species rebelled against the ruling Hylians and tried to kill every single one. They only let one male and one female live due to what the Goddesses Nayru and Farore had proclaimed.

"What's the other thing you have for me?" the hero asked.

"I shall teach you a song that will return you here whenever you are weary or in need of more training. The day you come here and this place has been destroyed, then you must go to the forests where nobody comes home. But to return you here, listen to…the New Wave Bossa Nova." Shiek drew a harp from behind his back and played the seven-note song. Link played the song back, and the ocarina glowed; it remembered that song from so long ago.

"This shall be the end, for now hero." The shiekah drew a stick from his behind. "You must journey to the skies before you can travel the ground below." Link gave him a confused look as he conducted a simple four-note song. A tornado swept across the lake and picked the hero up, throwing him into the skies. Whistling and a scarlet bird followed behind him.

Colin walked up to Shiek. "Will we see him again?" he asked.

"We may. But on the day we don't, almost all here shall lose their bodies. I, on the other hand," Shiek said, "shall lose my soul. But my body will live on as a vessel."

* * *

><p>Zelda opened her eyes. She was standing in the center of a never-ending room. Surrounding the hexagonal platform she was standing on were a number of waterfalls; where they went, few knew. The glimmering sapphire she was standing on had colored symbols at each point; each one represented one of the Six Sages of the Elements: Light, Shadow, Forest, Fire, Water, and Spirit. The sages appeared, each representing a different species of Hyrule.<p>

"I am Rauru, the Sage of Light. I represent the Hylians, chosen race of the Goddesses."

"I am Impa, the Sage of Shadows. I represent the Shiekahs, protectors of the Royal Family."

"I am Saria, the Sage of Forest. I represent the Kokiri and the Koroks, faithful friends of the Heroes of past, present and future."

"I am Darunia, the Sage of Fire. I represent the Gorons, brothers to the Hylians and protectors of Death Mountain."

"I am Ruto, the Sage of Water. I represent the Zoras, protectors of Hyrule's waters."

"I am Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit. I represent the Gerudos, unlikely allies of the Heroes."

They all spoke in unison then. "Our species have been corrupted by the Hyrulian Sons and their misguided desires. We call upon you, Princess Zelda, the Sage of Time and our Leader, to guide out people back. You must lead the new hero to our temples so we can return to the mortal realm; evil holds us here." She nodded, understanding their wishes.

A thought came to her. "I will do this if you can help on this side of the struggle; the hero must be given access to this sanctuary for Hyrule will soon burn, if the prophecies that have visited me in recent nights are true."

Rauru answered for them. "We shall do as you wish, Bearer of Wisdom. Until then, you must return to the Rest. You will know what to do when the time comes, as much as it will pain you to do it when the time arises."

A/N: well, that's finally done. It's funny how much dialogue Zelda gets compared to Link. See you guys next chapter…if I get a review.


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